The best news of my career came last week. I have been appointed an AIM Fellow on Services.
After a week of floating a few feet from the ground and feeling so so happy, I thought I'll pen down my reflections on the appointment to share with my students (and other researchers).
The press release of the appointment is at:
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/icln201/files/AIMFellowship/PR_Services.pdf
Yin thinks it's a good idea to have a Malaysian press release too - that can be found at:
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/icln201/files/AIMFellowship/AIMfellow_Msianpressrelease.pdf
To know about AIM, see http://www.aimresearch.org/ and to know about AIM Fellows, see http://www.aimresearch.org/index.php/about-aim/aim-fellows
What does getting an AIM Fellowship mean?
(I'm pasting the note I wrote on my facebook page here)
Simply put, the ESRC (through AIM) will pay the university 60% of my personal cost to the university. This is not just my salary but the space I occupy, the overheads, etc. (it comes up to about 2 and half times my salary). AIM will also pay for all research costs associated with my proposed research. With that payment, I would be freed from teaching and administrative loads and I can then spend all my time doing the research I proposed to do. In essence, AIM (ESRC) invests in me and my research because they consider it important enough to pay for it for the good of the UK economy and UK research. What do I give in return? I believe I have to do some AIM work (engaging with the government, engage in policies on the service economy, engaging with businesses, some public lectures etc.) which is around 2-3 days a month but other than that, the school will allow a buy-out of all my teaching and admin so I'm completely free to do the research I want to do. Free from teaching, free from admin for 3 years, yeaaaaaa! As Lead Fellow, the payment from AIM/ESRC increases to 70% of my cost as, according to the call, "The Lead Fellow for Services will take a leadership role for the Services Fellows Cohort, co-ordinating activities and joining the Directorate of AIM to ensure that AIM’s entire range of activities are appropriately integrated." (whatever that really means) Of course, I have also to deliver outputs from my research of these 2-3 years - publications, publications, and more publications ...but that is what I love to do and it's so good to finally have the time to do it.AIM Fellows are also required to fly a higher profile nationally and internationally e.g. press releases and press conferences on research findings.
The story from the beginning......
Back in August 2007, AIM issued a call:
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/icln201/files/AIMFellowship/070901-AIMServicesFellowship%20Final.pdf
I attended the briefing session in September and submitted a 6-page case for support. The case for support was very much everything I wanted to do in my research for the next 2 years. It was about B2B Service contracts and pricing. I probably would have found the time to do it anyway, despite having to juggle the heavy load of teaching and admin. It complemented my book and I had found the industrial partners who were interested in it.
My case for support can be seen here:
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/icln201/files/AIMFellowship/caseforsupport.pdf
In the submission, I also wrote a one page expression of interest in being the Lead Fellow. That one page was an honest account about what I felt about the direction of service research and how I could play a part in it. There was no spin, no 'right words' that would try to impress people. I just wrote it the way I felt (I think I actually wrote it in half an hour). I've uploaded it on my website at:
http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/icln201/files/AIMFellowship/expressionofinterest_leadfellow.pdf
In my effort to make my submission attractive, I solicited the help of good friends - academics working in the service area, some whom I have known for a long time (Jochen Wirtz, Mark Davis) and those I have only recently come to know (Robert Kwortnik, Judy Siguaw, Roy Rajkumar). They wrote letters of support with their biodata attached (that part is important because reviewers may not know who they are) so I had letters of support from Cranfield (UK), Cornell (Ithaca), Bentley (Boston), Cornell Nanyang (Singapore) and NUS (Singapore).
I also asked for access and support from industrial partners and I have to thank Roger for helping me set those up. I presented my proposal to Lloyds, Vodafone, Selex and Rolls Royce but Rolls Royce was too slow in decision making so I decided that my research would only include Lloyds, Vodafone and Selex. Selex was wonderful. Not only did they send in a letter of support but also included a pledge of £50,000 to support and contribute to my research.
The Interview
I was told that I was shortlisted for interview to be held in February (15 were shortlisted for 6 fellowship appointments). I was going through a terrible time ... struck with a terrible flu, I could barely move. Somehow, I made it to London and made it through the interview. Here's a brief account that I sent to Roger and Paul immediately after:
Well, I survived it. I don't think I screwed up. Some questions were tough but nothing I was uncomfortable with. Andy Neely told me from the beginning that I had 10 mins for presentation and 10 mins for questions so if I finished the presentation early, I would have more time for questions.
I figured presentations were a waste of time and mostly predictable stuff so I finished my presentation in 6 mins.
Andy Neely's questions (mostly related to the proposal)
Intrigued by 'Software as Service' - any other parallels? (Radar/Sensing). When service is delivered across 10 - 20 years, how do you price? (hence the need for more research in revenue and pricing models - I used insurance (actuarially based) pricing as an example. Selex's pledge of 50,000 pds - cash or in kind? Cash. What do they expect in return? (I have full autonomy to do research under AIM funding, Selex pays for workshops and consulting based on the results).
DTI guy's questions
How do you manage the potential conflict of having the need to be critical in your research and being a consultant to a company (set expectations from the outset including deliverables - make sure the study is scoped to show benefits to both parties). How do you plan to engage with broader users from other industries? (AIM fellowship in services will lift the profile of service to a higher level etc. etc.)
Sue Cox's questions
You indicated that your career aspiration is to be thought leader in your field. What do you think are the charactersitics of a thought leader (be very open about the type of research questions, be truly interdisiplinary, not content with simple answers). Why companies in Malaysia/Singapore? (collaboration with Judy Siguaw and Jochen Wirtz both based in Singapore). Would there be a conflict between your work for your centre and your work for AIM (don't know what AIM would require of me but if it happens, I will be the first to flag it up).
Last question by Andy Neely: Why are you interested to be lead fellow? (I have the skills to bridge research and practice, I have the global network to interact with service researchers - others may have the same skills and network but I thought I'll volunteer)
I think there were other questions but those were the ones that I remembered. I thought I did well then, and I guess the fact that I got the fellowship (and the Lead Fellow) means that I did do well. I was apprehensive that I came across too strong (my experience is that some academics prefer a more understated academic) but I guess not.
From the questions, I gather that the main reasons I got it was:
1. Selex £50k
2. Having a global service research network
3. Being a practitioner for 12 years and therefore able to integrate research and practice
4. Working on service as concept rather than context
5. Currently being on the S4T project working with BAE and defence industry on service
6. Andy Neely knows me and the work I do so being Deputy Director of AIM, he would probably be supportive (although you can never tell about these things. Sometimes familiarity has not edge)
7. A strong school letter (school provided 2 GRAs)
So those are all my reflections. I am still reeling from the news - being appointed AIM Fellow is one thing, being a Lead Fellow was totally unexpected. I am so pleased not merely with the fact that I was appointed a Lead Fellow but I got it by saying what I truly felt and I feel really happy with that. It really gives me license to act on my convictions.
Having the next 3 years to spend on my research, I have to really think about how to get my papers in the Journal of Marketing and Marketing Science. My objective, now that I have the freedom to do my research for 3 years, is to get 1 if not 2 publications in JM or MS. That would really set up my research properly. It will be really tough, but it's a goal I want to attain.
I would probably apply for full chair this September, hopefully having additional 2 papers published. Fingers crossed!
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